The benefits to mum & baby of going plastic-free - Laura Callaghan, Founder of Plastic Free Baby
/The benefits to mum & baby of going plastic-free
I’m Laura. I’m a single mum living in Brighton with my 3 year old son. I founded Plastic Free Baby, an online plastic-free shop and eco blog when I was pregnant, and here’s why…
When I was struggling to conceive a child, I wanted more than the “just think positive” words of wisdom people offer up. I wanted tangible ways to improve my chances of conceiving and birthing a healthy baby. This research became more significant still, when I lost my much yearned for first pregnancy a few weeks into the pregnancy.
My research took me to books and studies, pointing to the harmful toxins in common plastics being a risk to human fertility, to developing embryos and foetuses, to babies, infants and children, and to all humans. It really was revelatory!
Plastics can leach harmful toxins which can be endocrine imitators or interrupters, chemicals that can disrupt our bodies endocrine system, the system that produces hormones. Endocrine disruption by plastics toxins can lead to negative impacts on growth & development of foetuses / babies, weakened immune systems, reproductive issues, metabolism issues, and so much more.
We’re all aware of the environmental damage being caused by plastics and so many of us ‘choose to refuse’ single-use plastics for Mother Earth’s benefit; the hideous impacts that plastics have on human development is something far less talked about. We need to shout this from the rooftops!
I’m no scientist: I’m a concerned mummy who wants the healthiest of starts for her child. When I was trying to conceive, therefore, I cut back on my plastic consumption and usage.
When I was pregnant with my son I searched for plastic-free baby products, as natural alternatives to plastic-based baby goods, so that my baby could be introduced to a plastic-free environment from the get go. It was SO hard! This is when my shop & blog, Plastic Free Baby, was born!
I started Plastic Free Baby to help other parents like me, who hope to avoid plastics for themselves and their children, as a helpful resource to other eco-minded mums and parents, either those hoping to conceive, or those who are pregnant, those that have newborn babies, or children.
My top tips for reducing your plastic usage for the health of your family and baby (read more about the last two tips on my blog):
- Little and often - make SMALL changes and consistently; this will be where you make the greatest change.
Be informed about how toxic plastic is and why you need to avoid it for your health and the health of your family.
My Eight ‘R’s - Reuse / Recycle / Repair / Rehydrate mindfully / Reduce / Repeat / Reiterate / and…. RELAX!
Bio:
Laura Callaghan began the idea for Plastic Free Baby, an online plastic-free shop and blog, when she was when struggling to conceive her son Finn (now 3 years old); she began to read up on the possible reasons for this difficulty, and discovered that the everyday plastic that she used could be having a knock on effect on her fertility and her health. Some plastics can also affect babies, infants and children, so she began Plastic Free Baby.
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